Before he left the shores of Nigeria many years back, Mike Okri was one of the few artistes that rocked the music scene. His sudden disappearance came as a shock to many fans and music lovers. The ‘Rhumba style’ music crooner returned to the country a few weeks ago. He is back with another brand of music. In this interview with Bayo Adeoye, he confirms that he is back to take the sector to greater heights. He also spoke about his sojourn abroad and his experiences, among other issues. Excerpt…

Before you left Nigeria, you were among one of the biggest stars in the country. It was shocking that you left a thriving career and headed to the US. Why did you do this?

Well, call it ‘recycle of the times’. It wasn’t as if I abandoned my career. I know that certain things would happen in one’s life that you can’t change. Apart from being a guy who follows his instincts, there were certain other spiritual issues involved that made it imperative that I moved on.

I believe it was something that would help my career, if not now but in the future. It meant new moves to change the way I reasoned, become more business-oriented, have deeper understanding and become more knowledgeable about my profession.

Was it a sudden decision or something you planned ?

My movement was sudden, but it was not a sudden decision. We all know that I have been a prayerful person. I had moved around and was doing things without consulting God. Three different persons saw it and revealed that I needed to change location for a period of time. But what I never bargained for, was the 10 or 11 years I spent abroad. I think the movement was worthwhile. When I left Nigeria and headed for New York, my intention was also to follow my career as I was recording an album before my movement. But I had to shelve the plan because my wife was expecting my son. That changed my plans to release the album. So I moved to Connecticut to live like every other man working and doing different odd jobs.

We learnt that you were involved in different kinds of jobs abroad, like being a bouncer in a nite club, cab driver…

(Cuts) Never. I was not involved in any of those two. But I was on the environmental list, which means I was working with the department of environment. I was also privileged to work in a casino and I also worked with Black Jack as a dealer. The job was a privilege because, believe it or not, my English was impeccable. That’s why a lot of the people didn’t believe I came straight from Africa to America. They also believed that most of us in Nigeria have heavy accent. So being able to speak fluent English and solve Mathematics helped my job as a dealer.

What happened to your music career?

Unfortunately, I was unable to achieve that because I needed to work. I worked for two years before I moved to Los Angeles, California, because that was my dream. I also needed the work experience in the course of getting settled and to make a living. Back home in Nigeria, people think you pluck money on the streets of America. America is sweet but if you make money, it becomes sweeter.

I knew from experience that I needed to save money. I needed to save for my new baby who was born in the States. The baby made a couple of journeys to Nigeria until I decided that everybody should settle in Nigeria and go to school here.

It made me to understand that certain opportunities should not be taken for granted. Back home in Nigeria, we could all start from being servants to becoming leaders. So it was a great opportunity to be down–to-earth. Now I know how to treat people working under me. I know that if I have to get myself back again, there will be no sentiments. I will work with professionals. And even if I have to sign a pact with a brother, he must be a professional.

What happened to your music after that?

I can’t say that I wasn’t playing because in the midst of that, I played paid gigs; gigs like playing for the Urhobo and Agbor associations and other Nigerians who believe that since Okri is around and instead of bringing an artiste or band from Nigeria, we can use him.

It was adding up, though it was not the idea. If it was about playing for my people, I would have just stayed back in Nigeria but that encouraged me to see that people still have value for their own and the fact remains that it was a huge opportunity for me to really put out anything that will make me look at myself as Mike Okri.

I looked at myself as the Okri who is working himself through the channel of knowledge, to acquire more wisdom, in the way I do things.

What really makes it difficult for most of our stars to make it abroad?

The problem is huge and nobody can really say this is the reason or that it is the reason. But I think in my own opinion, stars could make it. I can particularly tell you that I could have made it and I still believe I can make it. It all depends on the combination of factors, one of which has to be that in the diaspora, Nigerians are so disunited. And if you go to the United States, or any part of the world and you say you are going there to unite them, you are doing yourself a disfavour.

Secondly, Nigerians in the diaspora do not control the industry. And those who are part of the success in that industry do not even identify with Nigerians as a core group because they are a failed state abroad.

Also, for you as an artiste to cut it as an international artiste, you have to do so by doing collaborations and your kind of music must be a grand style.

Many factors could be involved. For instance in America, age is a factor but unlike in Britain where it doesn’t matter if you are 50 or 60, you could still make it. In the music industry over there, there is a lot of politics too. If I had the kind of money like the kind of money, I controlled in Nigeria, why could I not make it?

I will be able to live in America and also help artistes internationally and in Nigeria. They would look up to me as somebody relevant in their country and also in Nigeria. The way we started, we did not create a platform that would make us relevant there. That is why most of us suffer.
Apart from Femi Kuti who has a solid base because of his late father’s influence and maybe, Lagbaja. There are stars from the Caribbean and the Spanish world. They don’t need to have anything because they have the followership. With good music, they are made for life and everybody will be wowed.

But when Nigerians don’t have all that, how will they make it? So I’m trying to see how I can merge both sides because Nigerians accepted me back and it is possible to merge it.

We also learnt that you went back to school?

I needed that knowledge to be able to form some other aspects of my life. I have always wanted to be a writer and broaden my horizon. I also believe that knowledge is power and to help modify the way I reason, the way I do things.

But after graduation, it was not easy for me to get a job. It was tough because after September 9/11, the face of America changed. America that used to be a good forum to succeed whether you had one form of education or not, changed. The events of 9/11 forced them to redirect their steps. I think part of it was to cut off the live wire which is opportunity for all and say no, we have to concentrate on our people.

But I can tell you that as a human, if you have the potential to make your own business, now is an opportunity because if you are a resident, citizen, or a foreigner, it will do you good to be your own business man because the government is willing to give you money, to set up and employ people. So, there are opportunities on ground.

So how did you survive after graduation?

It was tough but I survived. I could say I wasn’t having a steady job because I already had in mind that I did not want a job that would take me my whole time. Because America is built in such a way that if you get a job, then consider yourself working with them for a life time. It didn’t matter if you are earning 15 dollars per hour, the benefits and all will make you stay.

They will ask, ‘are you going to be with us for a long time’? You have to tell them the truth because you will go through all manners of training, so that you can be in that job for life and enjoy the greatest benefits.